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Lawless III
2010-01-22, 12:27 AM
I'm making a Dwarven Cleric for a level 15 campaign. I'm planning on focusing on spell casting with melee combat as a fallback. I have the core books, complete divine, TOB, and Expanded Psionics. (I don't expect the last two to be all that relevant, but it couldn't hurt to mention them.) I have the character built for the most part, but I'd like any advice I can get on domains, spells feats etc. Any other advice is more than welcome. I don't usually play spellcasters (except bards for the fun and roleplaying) so I could use any advice I can get.:smallwink:

herrhauptmann
2010-01-22, 01:01 AM
YOu should probably tell us what you've already got. As well as the level of optimization in your party.
Finally, if you've got a backstory and play in a roleplay heavy group, you might have a reason to take say, Craft magic arms/armor, while such a feat is unnecessary to become Clericzilla. SOmething like that would have a huge effect on useful advice we can give you.

Noodles2375
2010-01-22, 01:12 AM
If you are in a well optimized group, taking the crusader/Cleric/Ruby Knight Vindicator from ToB could be very powerful and very fun.

You get sweet spellcasting, powerful melee abilities and a unique action economy breaking.

If you want primary casting you could go like:

Crusader 1/ Cleric 4/RkV 10

and max out the prestige class at 15.

drengnikrafe
2010-01-22, 01:17 AM
For some reason, when I read this thread, I couldn't help but remember this (http://agc.deskslave.org/comic_viewer.html?goNumber=247), and a few of the comics that followed it.

Lawless III
2010-01-22, 01:21 AM
It's not a heavily optimized party at all. There's not even really any multiclassing. My background is set enough where I'm definitely going to be pure cleric thus far (though I could take another class next time we level). As for what I already have, I have some general ideas. I want to take strength as one of my domains (domains are not an issue because the DM is allowing me to custom make my deity, except for that it must be lawful good, as am I). I might take Silent Spell, which I know is useless in most cases, but I know the DM likes to use silence every chance he gets and he even recommended it.

On a related side note, which book are those vow things in (i.e vow of poverty, vow of celibacey etc.)?

Thurbane
2010-01-22, 01:33 AM
If you want to concentrate on casting, get as many domains as you can, through PrCs, and take the Domain Spontaneity feat from CC. Also, load up on metamagic feats. And check for Initiate feats of your particular god that add spells to your Cleric spell list.

Just read the OP, you may not have the books some of my suggestions are in... :smallredface:

Lawless III
2010-01-22, 03:24 AM
Thanks anyway. Any recomendations as to which metamagic feats in particular?

Dr.Epic
2010-01-22, 03:41 AM
I'd take augment healing regardless of anything else. All clerics should have it. As a dwarf cleric with a little bit melee I'd go for a strength domain and maybe looking int war priest.

Eldariel
2010-01-22, 05:31 AM
And I suggest you don't get Augment Healing since the feat is very weak. Requires ranks in a trashy skill for a character with none too many skill points, adds miniscule bonuses to combat strategy not worth pursuing, etc. Wand-healing is so much more efficient out-of-combat and your in-combat Heals don't care if they heal 150 or 160 points; it's plenty either way. I also suggest you don't take Warpriest since it loses half casting levels, and gains abilities you can replicate with that casting (and then some).

Some reading:
Cleric Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=420.0)
3.5 Domains (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3927.0) (Ignore the Sovereign Speaker-stuff; it's about Eberron. The Domain-analysis though? Awesome)


To condense, Domains are all up to your deity, of course, but e.g. Travel, Luck, Trickery, Magic, Pride, War (depending on deity and weapon, of course; getting some two-hander is great), Celerity, Undeath, Planning, Time, Domination, Force & Knowledge are all very solid, depending on what exactly you're going after. Those should be Core+CD but I may have added few Spell Compendium-ones accidentally.

Either way, a melee Cleric really loves Divine Metamagic. With Persistent Spell, you could make a bunch of buffs on you (and party) last whole day to great effect. That can be frighteningly powerful though. Divine Metamagic Chain Spell, and Quicken Spell, are the less-overpowering-but-still-useful options.


And I'd definitely consider PrCing. You're level 15; I'd at least look Contemplative. Surely you've met the representative of your deity by then. 15 is really high. You're an almost epic hero. If you haven't PrCd by then, you won't really have time to finish the PrC before epic levels.

And I'd look if there's some PrC that fits your character concept better than pure Cleric (Complete Divine is filled with such). Sacred Exorcist if you're particularly anti-Undead, Church Inquisitor if you...well, would see yourself as a Church Inquisitor, Divine Oracle for a seer/diviner-type character, Thaumaturgist [DMG] for a summoner, Contemplative just for "high-level Clerics" (that is, Clerics closer to their deity) in general, etc.


For other feats, you'll probably want Power Attack if you're a melee type (with all your buffs, you can quickly reach a point where you hit on all by 1 and thus should PA for a lot), metamagic (Quicken Spell is great, Extend Spell seems like a must, Persistent Spell is consideration-worthy even without Divine Metamagic [next level, you can hardcast Persistent Mass Lesser Vigor so people autoheal all day], Chain Spell is decent), Extra Turnings (if using Divine Metamagic) and various Divine feats depending on your exact config (Divine Might if you have a high Cha and are a combatant, Divine Spell Power if you're more into casting, Divine Metamagic if...well, covered that above, Domain Spontaneity if you want to expand your options on the fly, etc.).

And yeah, get Beads of Karma (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#strandofPrayerBeads) for your buffing. Along with Orange Prism Ioun Stone (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#iounStones), you can get Caster Level 20 buffs like Greater Magic Weapon, Magic Vestment (+5 weapons and armor for everyone; Extend them so they last 40 hours, long enough to prepare spells once without 'em freeing up slots every other day), Heroes' Feast (Extend it for 24 hour duration), etc.

Also helps keep Death Wards, Freedoms of Movement and similars up a bit longer (they're 10 min/level so CL 20 gives you 200 mins, or 3 hours and 20 mins duration so extended, it's almost 7 hours), etc. With Persistent Spell, you could also give everyone Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, Vigorous Circle and such all day.

Steelblood
2010-01-22, 07:21 AM
lvl 15 eh? i think your due for a Maul of Catastrophic Healing.

Optimystik
2010-01-22, 07:57 AM
Clerics can be taken in a number of directions. What do you want to do? Be a primary offensive caster, raining no-save-just-die on your enemies? Buff up and wade into melee? Hang back and protect your party? Rely on powerful summons to do the dirty work for you?

If you're not going to melee (and even if you are!) consider being a Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) instead of a regular one. You can be the party loremonkey, get a free domain, tons of skillpoints, and lose only a handful of hitpoints.

Perhaps the ultimate cleric PrC is Radiant Servant (of Pelor), which, like Planar Shepherd, loses you absolutely nothing for joining and grants powerful benefits. If you enter with Cloistered Cleric, you actually improve. (1/2 BAB to 3/4, same HD.)